I grossly underestimated the number of 30-somethings who work hard but party harder and who really, really like their mid-90s alt-radio-rock. This underestimation caused me to miss Marcy Playground’s entire set as I stood in line with my 30-something cousin who was attending only his second ever concert.

We still made it in time to see LIT (surprisingly modern sounding), Gin Blossoms (looking old but with probably the most recognizable set of songs of the night), Sugar Ray (way more entertaining than expected) and Everclear (Art’s voice was not up to par on this particular night and while musically my favorite, on the other hand they were also the most disappointing).

There are so many of these types of bands still around from the mid-90s that I can easily see this tour – with a new set of bands – becoming a yearly thing.

As most of Columbus was out of power on Friday night, the fact that the America Rocks show went off without a hitch was pretty amazing. True, most of the bands on the lineup retained only one original member, but the hits are the hits and ’80s hair metal fans were treated to hours worth of recognizable tunes.

Lillian Axe kicked things off with a heavier-than-expected set and closed with the only song of theirs I remember (“Show a Little Love”). Those looking for straight-up Metal Edge nostalgia needn’t look any further than Pretty Boy Floyd who wore teased hair and leather pants. The Bulletboys tossed a few newer songs into their Van Halen-sounding set (I asked by buddy Shawn is “Hell on My Heels” was from Van Halen I or Van Halen II!). Faster Pussycat went the glam-goth route in the mid-90s and retain that look but have gone back to the sleaze rock sound they were known for. Jack Russell’s Great White closed out the night with a bluesy, classic rock sound and a set full of recognizable hits – I’m guessing of all the bands on the tour, these guys are the most likely to stick to their group when not performing.

A hot summer night made cool by the feelgood jams of The Chris Robinson Brotherhood – a great way to kick off the summer concert season. The size of the venue seemed a bit suspect (The Black Crowes sell out venues with a capacity 10 times what the A&R Bar holds), but in a brief conversation with CRB guitarist Neal Casal after the show, Casal said that while the Crowes can pack larger theaters, nobody wanted to assume Chris’s new band could pull in crowds anywhere near that size.

I think this tour is proving the band wrong and for those who have been lucky enough to snag tickets to sold-out shows, the band’s been delivering magical performances.Continue reading →